This Christmas Eve more than 40 people gathered at the main gate to Victoria Park in London to protest the Olympic torch relay. Large banners were held up, free food was provided by ‘Food Not Games’, and speakers from several community groups chanted and delivered their message to the crowds as the torch was about to arrive for a celebration.
During this protest over 1000 flyers from the Olympic Resistance Network and no2010 were handed out to people as they arrived to see the torch. Several people stopped to learn more and some joined us, including a few ‘Torch Relay’ volunteers who put no2010 stickers over their name tags and started handing out our flyers instead of Coke branded Canadian flags.
After speaking out at the gate, folks marched into the park chanting ‘no olympics on stolen native land’. Police tried to block people from weaving their way through the crowds, but failed. After ‘welcoming’ the torch with boos and chants, people regrouped at the main gate.
‘Food not Games’ was a central message, and during the over-financed ‘celebration’ not a single free meal was given out in the entire city. Except ours. ‘Food not Games’ served a healthy holiday meal to anyone who thought free food was a better deal than an overpriced flame. Chants of ‘Food Not Games, Homes Not Games’ were heard clearly by the hundreds who left the ‘celebration’ midway through.
A roll of stickers was also distributed to hundreds of spectators, and stickers made their way onto numerous relay vehicles, infrastructure, and corporate propaganda and advertising while children spoke of the need for ‘education not games’ and mothers spoke of fighting for a future for the next generation.
Minus the ignorant patriots, classless classists, and preposterous police presence, it was a formidable family friendly protest.
Props to Oneida, Six Nations, Toronto, Kitchener, and all other communities resisting the 2010 Olympics across Ontario and throughout the world.
http://mostlywater.org/london_protests_olympic_torch
